Chapter 7 – Stress and Stress Tolerance
Introduction
In a traditional cell biology course or textbook, you usually learn about the structure and function of “ideal” cells, e.g., those in a health human body. However, life thrives in all sorts of extreme environments, like the algae growing on top of snow in Figure 7.1. Even in less extreme climates, the environment around (and sometimes within) organisms changes often, which can cause stress for cells. How do organisms and their cells survive (and sometimes thrive) in stressful environments? This chapter will explore some general concepts relevant to stress and stress tolerance, and the chapters that follow will delve into specific types of stress.